Read Online Haven: Revenge of the Viper by D.C. Akers - Free Book Online
Authors: D.C. Akers
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padding on the gravel.
“No! Wait!” Gordon said. “Come back!”
He began to run down the winding path, in hopes of reaching the child before she got to the cavern. The Kamber Stones were not bright enough to illuminate the entire cavern and it would be dangerous for her to enter with the stalagmites protruding from the ground.
Gordon reached the end of the tunnel, but the little girl was nowhere to be found. Alek shone brighter as Gordon advanced into the cavern. As he held up his staff, he could barely make out the floating portal in the distance. A large body of water stood between him and the portal, taking up most of the cavern.
Gordon felt a cool refreshing breeze move across his skin, but something felt wrong. She should be there. Just then, Alek began to vibrate beneath his grip. Gordon grasped his staff tightly and moved it to the right, slowly searching for the child. The light fell across the water which looked like glass, silent and motionless.
“Hello, are you there?” Gordon asked, swallowing hard. But still there was no reply.
He moved the staff back to the right, its purple glare reaching the far depths of the cavern, but again he saw no sign of the girl.
“Where are you?” he asked again. “I won’t harm you. I’m here to help you.”
“Help,” the voice said again. This time it was coming from the center of the cavern. Gordon quickly moved Alek around to take a better look. There, sitting in the shallow water in front of the floating portal, was the small child. She was kneeling with her face in her hands and the rabbit floated next to her in the water.
How did she get out there? Gordon wondered. She hadn’t been there a minute ago.
She was crying now, her body trembled with every sob. She was obviously frightened, Gordon thought. “Please … help me,” she said again. Her voice was softer this time, almost a whisper.
Taking a deep breath, Gordon walked with a sense of purpose past the stalagmite-infested shoreline and down into the body of water. He waded through the water with Alek held firmly in front of him, guiding the way. The staff was vibrating fiercely in his hand, but Gordon ignored the warning. All he could think about was the child and that she needed his help. Maybe Alek is sensing the child’s fear, he guessed.
“I’m coming, don’t be scared. I’ll be right there.”
As Gordon approached the child’s body cringed in terror. She reached for the floating rabbit and pulled it close to her.
Gordon stared down at the girl. The skin on her arms was ashen white, and upon closer inspection he could see that she had several deep gashes on her arms, some shallow scrapes, and her hands were bleeding.
Good Lord, what’s happened to this girl?
He moved closer to comfort her. She was sobbing into her hands and clutching the rabbit.
“It’s okay, I’m here. Everything is going to be all right,” he said.
As Gordon shifted Alek around to better see the child, he noticed a black mass moving over the child’s legs in the water. Quickly, he brought Alek close, and what he saw made his stomach turn.
Hundreds of black spiders were swarming over the girl’s legs and moving up her dress onto her waist. Gordon reached down for her.
“Come quickly, there are spiders—” but before he could finish his sentence the child reached out and snatched his arm with such force that he winced in pain. Sharp, bone-gray nails dug into his flesh. Shocked, Gordon looked up at the child, and for the first time, he saw her grotesque face.
Red glowing pupils surrounded by milky white irises stared intently back at him. Streaky black veins riddled the child’s face. Her emaciated eye sockets were tinged with black and her thin cracked lips were pallid and bloodstained.
Gordon fell to his knees with a splash; the pain in his arm was so excruciating he found it almost impossible to move. Alek’s vibrations intensified and the purple gemstone surged with an intense brilliance.
Gordon
“No! Wait!” Gordon said. “Come back!”
He began to run down the winding path, in hopes of reaching the child before she got to the cavern. The Kamber Stones were not bright enough to illuminate the entire cavern and it would be dangerous for her to enter with the stalagmites protruding from the ground.
Gordon reached the end of the tunnel, but the little girl was nowhere to be found. Alek shone brighter as Gordon advanced into the cavern. As he held up his staff, he could barely make out the floating portal in the distance. A large body of water stood between him and the portal, taking up most of the cavern.
Gordon felt a cool refreshing breeze move across his skin, but something felt wrong. She should be there. Just then, Alek began to vibrate beneath his grip. Gordon grasped his staff tightly and moved it to the right, slowly searching for the child. The light fell across the water which looked like glass, silent and motionless.
“Hello, are you there?” Gordon asked, swallowing hard. But still there was no reply.
He moved the staff back to the right, its purple glare reaching the far depths of the cavern, but again he saw no sign of the girl.
“Where are you?” he asked again. “I won’t harm you. I’m here to help you.”
“Help,” the voice said again. This time it was coming from the center of the cavern. Gordon quickly moved Alek around to take a better look. There, sitting in the shallow water in front of the floating portal, was the small child. She was kneeling with her face in her hands and the rabbit floated next to her in the water.
How did she get out there? Gordon wondered. She hadn’t been there a minute ago.
She was crying now, her body trembled with every sob. She was obviously frightened, Gordon thought. “Please … help me,” she said again. Her voice was softer this time, almost a whisper.
Taking a deep breath, Gordon walked with a sense of purpose past the stalagmite-infested shoreline and down into the body of water. He waded through the water with Alek held firmly in front of him, guiding the way. The staff was vibrating fiercely in his hand, but Gordon ignored the warning. All he could think about was the child and that she needed his help. Maybe Alek is sensing the child’s fear, he guessed.
“I’m coming, don’t be scared. I’ll be right there.”
As Gordon approached the child’s body cringed in terror. She reached for the floating rabbit and pulled it close to her.
Gordon stared down at the girl. The skin on her arms was ashen white, and upon closer inspection he could see that she had several deep gashes on her arms, some shallow scrapes, and her hands were bleeding.
Good Lord, what’s happened to this girl?
He moved closer to comfort her. She was sobbing into her hands and clutching the rabbit.
“It’s okay, I’m here. Everything is going to be all right,” he said.
As Gordon shifted Alek around to better see the child, he noticed a black mass moving over the child’s legs in the water. Quickly, he brought Alek close, and what he saw made his stomach turn.
Hundreds of black spiders were swarming over the girl’s legs and moving up her dress onto her waist. Gordon reached down for her.
“Come quickly, there are spiders—” but before he could finish his sentence the child reached out and snatched his arm with such force that he winced in pain. Sharp, bone-gray nails dug into his flesh. Shocked, Gordon looked up at the child, and for the first time, he saw her grotesque face.
Red glowing pupils surrounded by milky white irises stared intently back at him. Streaky black veins riddled the child’s face. Her emaciated eye sockets were tinged with black and her thin cracked lips were pallid and bloodstained.
Gordon fell to his knees with a splash; the pain in his arm was so excruciating he found it almost impossible to move. Alek’s vibrations intensified and the purple gemstone surged with an intense brilliance.
Gordon
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